Earlier this month, NFL partner Jay-Z was added to a civil lawsuit brought by a then-13-year-old girl who alleges rape dating back more than 20 years. Jay-Z responded aggressively, suing Tony Buzbee (an NFL agitator who represents the plaintiff) and seeking both the dismissal of the lawsuit and a requirement that she proceed in her own name, and not anonymously.
On Thursday, the presiding judge dealt Jay-Z (known formally as Shawn Carter) convincing losses on each point.
For now, the plaintiff will be permitted to proceed under the Jane Doe pseudonym. Also, the case will not be dismissed on the merits.
It’s ridiculous for any competent lawyer to think a win can be secured so early in court. That never happens. Cases take time to play out, even those resulting in a relatively quick win for the defendant.
Beyond the fact that it achieved nothing, the aggressive response from Jay-Z’s lawyer was a mistake. Because the judge is already pissed off at Jay-Z’s lawyers.
From the five-page court order, as posted by Deadline.com: "[Shawn] Carter’s lawyer’s relentless filing of combative motions containing inflammatory language and ad hominem attacks is inappropriate, a waste of judicial resources, and a tactic unlikely to benefit his client. The Court will not fast-track the the judicial process merely because counsel demands it.”
Unless the lawyer does this all the time (making him or her clueless as to how things work), it’s possible that the lawyer is demanding a fast-tracking of the case because the client is. That Jay-Z believes the only way to truly clear his name is to achieve a sudden, slam-dunk victory before the still-fresh cement of allegation hardens into reputation.
His P.R. instincts might be accurate, but his understanding of the legal system is way, way off. And if Jay-Z’s lawyer acted so aggressively because Jay-Z wanted it, the next challenge for the lawyer will be to come up with a tactful way of telling the client that the take-no-prisoners tactics backfired, badly.
None of this means Jay-Z will lose. But, as the judge said, none of this will help him gain an eventual win.
